MedEx Day Four

Today was a busy day! We started the day with our HRA screenings, which went very well! The staff was very nice, and the blood collection process was quick and painless! My results were not necessarily what I had hoped for as I had high cholestrol, but it wasn't any different from what I expected. High cholestrol and heart disease runs in my family, so I now realize from my results that I need to take better care of my body through working out and eating healthier. After everyone was back from their screenings, Uncle Al came to talk to us about the top 10 necessary items for medical school admissions. This discussion was extremely helpful as I always believe a perfect GPA was needed for a better chance of getting into medical school. However, I now realize that other items may be more important such as extracurriculars, work-related experiences, and letters of reccomendation. I also understood that these are areas I need to work on, and I will need to form better relationships with my proffessors starting this semester. I also need to find more leadership positions in my extracurriculars, and also find more volunteering oppurtunities possibly within the hospital. Uncle Al's talk also lowered my worries about how much the MCAT score matters. I always thought I would be super stressed about it and I would need to do very well, but as long as my other application attributes make up for it, I realize now it will be fine!

After lunch, we then participated in a fear bubble activity with our tier. It was very freeing to be able to be open and honest about what we were scared about, and it was comforting to know that I wasn't the only one who was unsure and doubtful about my future and about what others think of me. Truly, it felt like I became closer with my peers! After this, we then heard a discussion from Uncle Al about how it truly is possible to live your dreams. Instead of comparing yourself to others, believe in yourself and surround yourself with people who believe in you too. It was super inspiring, and I realized I have always been harsher on myself than other people are on me. I need to take care of myself first instead of putting so much emphasis on what other people think of me in order to achieve my goals!

We then heard from the health science librarian, and even though I have used Google Scholar before, I learned new attributes about it such as the advanced search that I know will be super helpful! I was also alerted to the dangers of journals that can take advantage of those who are wanting to publish, which I never knew about and will keep a look out for!

After hearing from the librarian, we met our Tier IV mentors who were amazing! They gave great advice on preparing for the MCAT and taking classes, and the conversation flowed great! What was even more incredible was the fact that me and another Teir IV mentor were inspired to go to medical school by very similar situations. Both of our family members were diagnosed with colon cancer, which shocked me and made me feel as though we were meant to talk to each other! I also became more comfortable with the possibility of taking a gap year as one of the mentors is currently taking one!